Cherished
by RianSveinSnape
Summary: Things always happen for a reason, even if it's not known. ONE SHOT, NO PAIRING, MAJOR ANGST


Cherished  
By: Kodoku  
  
started: 4/27/04-12:30 AM  
Ended: 4/27/04-2:00 AM  
  
Beta'd: No  
  
Archive: Please don't. You can ask me, but I might say no being that this is very personal. If I find that you have this archived somewhere, you will be looking at a very long flame being sent your way, and a lot of bad mouth to be spread around the net about you.  
  
Rating: PG-13/R  
  
Warnings: Major tear jerking angst. Death. very depressing. and did I mention extreme angst?  
  
Note: I'm really sorry to have written something so depressing. I think it's my lowest yet. coming out just above my WTC one. But a lot of this is based on real experience with the exception of the ending, for now... and I needed to do something to help me cope with my emotions. I cried the entire time I spent writing this. Like I am crying right now. and I have taken many breaks to hold my poor sick cat. once again I'm sorry for this extremely depressing fic. and if anyone knows the gender of Karupin it would be a much welcomed piece of information.  
  
  
  
  
  
Things always happen for a reason. Even though most of the time we just don't understand them or see them at all. Though one person experienced this in a way that he had never expected it to. Echizen Ryoma had always thought that when the day came for this experience he would find some kind of reason for it's happening. Something to justify the event's taking place. Unfortunately, a reason valid enough to justify the cause, in his mind anyway, was no where to be found.  
  
It all started about one year ago. Towards the end of his last year at Seigaku Jr. High. At that time he would have been found on his way to some doctor's office for a check up, carrying his beloved cat, Karupin, in his arms. Of course, this was no ordinary check up, nor was it regular, as Ryoma was soon about to find out.  
  
He was waiting in a room, leaning against the wall, holding Karupin close to his chest, as he waited for the doctor to come back. He didn't have to wait long, though the look on the doctor's face didn't look good and made Ryoma's stomach start twisting and doing flip flops. His arms unconciously tightening it's hold around Karupin, making the cat squirm around.  
  
"There is some bad news." the doctor sighed out softly. He didn't know how to tell the boy in front of him the news. He looked like he had some inkling of what was going on, yet once he knew for sure, he'd be devastated. The doctor slowly swallowed around the lump in his throat. "Unfortunately, we have been able to detect kidney failure. There is no way to fix it, since by the time it's detectable the kidneys have already failed about 75%. It's too late to try and save him. However," here, he paused. Hope was always good, but it could do more damage in the end. The doctor knew this, and didn't want to tell the boy what he was going to say next.  
  
"However, there are things we can do to... try and help prolong his life."  
  
Ryoma lifted his head up from where he was staring down at Karupin. "Like what?" he asked, in a strong and steady voice that didn't match the slightly watery eyes that stared at the doctor.  
  
And so, the doctor spent an hour explaining everything that he should do. From changing his diet to even giving him fluids by IV needles. And thus it starts.  
  
  
  
Ryoma had been very responsible when it came to following the doctor's advices to prolong Karupin's life. He made sure he only ate the proper diet food, made sure he drank a lot of water, gave Karupin every type of medicine needed to help even if he had to force it down his throat, and even somehow managed to get 150cc of fluid into his body by IV needles by himself every other day.  
  
It has been almost half a year since the check up, and for now, it seems like things were starting to look up for Ryoma. While on the school side, he was able to reunite with some allies and rivals from back when he was a first year in Jr. High, at home it seemed like he had gotten his father to lay off on teasing him all the time now that he was able to constantly manage to get some balls past his baka oyaji during all the matches. As for Karupin, he was doing better. He had gained more weight and got his weight back up to almost 5kg(13 lbs) from the very light 4kg(9 lbs) that he was barely half a year ago. Over all he seemed better, much more healthy.  
  
Yes, at this point in time, Ryoma could honestly say that life was good. And he spent his time enjoying every bit of it. After all, isn't this the time to cherish everything you've got? When you've still got everything and while you are still happy? And of course, nothing lasts forever. You don't expect everything you enjoy about life now to be there several years down the road do you? Times change, people change, hell, even places change. Nothing ever stays the same, and it's a shame that not everyone realizes this.  
  
  
  
Everyone reaches a point in there life, where you will have to struggle greatly for something. Whether it's something as simple as trying hard to achieve a goal of getting something you've always wanted, or learning how to play a sport or learning a new move. Or something more complex like financial situations or dealing with major medical problems that make it hard to enjoy life, or even something like having a major fall out with your spouse and being in the process of a nasty divorce. Somewhere along the line you struggle and fight, and sometimes even just give up and get depressed. Have we reached that point yet?  
  
  
  
Now, it's been almost a year since that day that all of this has started. And what a long, rough journey it's been with all it's ups and downs. But now, if you were to look closely, you could see that Ryoma has lost that little shine in his eyes. You could tell that something was wrong.  
  
And something was definitely wrong. For back at the Echizen household, you would always find Ryoma holed up in his room with Karupin with him. And while for Ryoma, it only looked like he lacked sleep and maybe lost about 2kg. Karupin, who was lying down curled up next to Ryoma's side, looked like he did the time he had went to the vet for his check up. In fact, if you were to watch him all day, he wouldn't move much. He wouldn't eat. He wouldn't drink water. When you called his name, most of the time he wouldn't even spare you the strength to twitch a muscle.  
  
Karupin had, for lack of gentler words, reverted back to the sick, unhealthy kitty he was a year ago. And this time, it happened all in the course of a few weeks. Echizen Ryoma's world and happiness came crashing down like when the great flood had hit the earth. He felt completely helpless and depressed. And it showed in everything he did. His grades dropped. He even took to not going to school at all on some days. He wouldn't have practice matches as much as he used to. Ryoma would totally ignore his extremely annoying father, who would always goat him into having matches, and head straight for his room, most of the time forgetting to come down for meals.  
  
The world was coming to an end for Echizen Ryoma's happiness as his precious cat Karupin was slowly dying.  
  
  
  
A few weeks later, no one would see hide nor hair of Ryoma. He'd keep himself in his room. Refusing all visitors. His door was locked from the inside as to not even let his family into his room. If anyone had been able to see Ryoma during that time, you would have been able to tell that he had been constantly crying, as well as not sleeping, as he was curled up in bed with his arms wrapped around an extremely thin Himalayan Spotted cat.  
  
His cousin, Nanako, took to leaving a tray of food outside of his door everyday. At least he was eating some, and that helped to keep his family at bay. The last thing he wanted was for them to start making a racket, or for them to break down his door. He wanted to spend every moment he could with Karupin.  
  
  
  
From that day on, no one saw Ryoma. That is, until one month later.  
  
  
  
Nanako had woken up and headed for the kitchen to make breakfast for her uncle and something small for Ryoma to pick at during the day. She nearly had a heart attack when, after turning on the lights, saw Ryoma sitting there at the table and staring off ahead of him with a bundle laying in his lap. He was extremely pale as well as extremely thing. He looked so weak that you could probably break him as easily as you could a twig. Yet, something had to have happened for Ryoma to leave his haven.  
  
"Ryoma?" Nanako spoke softly, so as not to neither scare her cousin nor hurt his ears. After all, he spent all his time in quiet.  
  
Ryoma barely blinked. And so Nanako took the time to start cooking, deciding to leave her cousin be till he was ready to talk, or to do anything.  
  
As Nanako set the plates down on the table, Ryoma turned his head a bit to direct his blood-shot red, teary eyes at his cousin. He gently lifted the bundle he had cradled in his lap, up to hold against his chest. He stared at his cousin with eyes full of hurt and pain. "Karupin... he finally died in the middle of the night." he whispered, not being able to hide the pain from his voice as yet another tear made it's way down his face.  
  
All Nanako could do was walk up to Ryoma and hug him. For what is there to be said other than pointless things that doesn't change the end result.  
  
  
  
Things always happen for a reason. And while Echizen Ryoma has not managed to find the reason to justify the death of Karupin, he did manage to move on in his life. Not that he forgot about his cat. No, he had given Karupin a proper burial by the house off to the side, even with a small headstone. And he would stay there for a while everyday. But he did manage to get some semblance of his life back together. He was able to enjoy some of the things he used to before.  
  
After all, nothing ever stays the same. And so you must cherish what you have when you have it. Like how Ryoma did. For when it's gone, it will be sorely missed. But if the time was well cherished and well spent, you have happy times to look back upon. Times of joy to remember. And while nothing of your time of perfect happiness will stay the same, the memories you will always have forever.  
  
  
~owari~ 


End file.
